


(im)purity tower, 51

by pumpkinpaperweight, tagatha_sge



Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 1, F/M, M/M, also it's based on noam's comic, collab with katie!! never done a collab before it was fun, not part of filling in canon bc I can't claim it to have happened in canon lmao, post trial by tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pumpkinpaperweight/pseuds/pumpkinpaperweight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tagatha_sge/pseuds/tagatha_sge
Summary: your first kiss doesn't count if it's with your enemy/rival/grudging friend/classmate on a random wednesday evening, after you just spent like an hour crying about how much you hate your school, right?right?agatha's asking for a friend, obviously.obviously. haha.---collab with tagatha_sge, based on the first three parts of @isabella_rose_mcfluffy's first "trashy school days" comics!
Relationships: Agatha/Tedros (The School for Good and Evil), Chaddick/Nicholas (The School for Good and Evil)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 54





	(im)purity tower, 51

**Author's Note:**

> based on these comics by @isabella_rose_mcfluffy on instagram [part 1 here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZaGa8pDst/)  
> 

Tedros was… worried, to say the least. Walking back to his room after classes, his mind raced with concern. _What could be wrong_ ? he wondered, looking absently through the blue glass stairs at a group of Evergirls babbling on about some mindless class they were taking. _Did she do poorly in class?_ No, she wouldn’t be that distraught over something like grades… _Could it have been something I said?_ The concept made him miss a step, the toe of his boot colliding with the lip of the step. His arm shot up in enough time to grab the railing and steady himself, but he could hear the Evergirls giggling at his misfortune below. He brushed himself off and sped down the hallway, ignoring strange looks from those who lingered in the common room. As soon as he reached his room, he slammed the door shut behind him, resting his head against the frame for a moment. _Deep breath in, deep breath out… Okay--_

He turned with a grin. “Hey guys― oh.” 

“Oh, hey Tedros…” Chaddick laughed nervously, quickly pulling himself up off of the boy beneath him. 

“Hi,” Nicolas said simply.

The three boys stared at each other. 

Tedros waited for more. Nothing else came. 

“Um. Sorry for interrupting, I can go if you want to―” 

“No!” Chaddick nearly shouted. “No, no, that’s-- that’s fine--” But Nicolas did not appear to share share the sentiment. He sat up on the bed-- _Tedros’_ bed-- and stuck his hand into Chaddick’s hair, twisting it around his fingers. Chaddick babbled on;

“Sorry, we didn’t think you would be back so soon, but if you want to go to sleep we can stop― Ow!” 

Nicolas tugged a little too hard on his hair. Tedros looked between them

“...um, no, it’s okay. I was thinking about finding Agatha before it got too late, she ran from me after dinner and I wanted to know what was wrong… she's been really... weird... so.. yeah.” he trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. 

“Perfect. Sounds perfect,” Nicolas jumped in, shuffling off the bed. He pushed Tedros in the direction of the door forcefully, almost too excited.

“Isn’t it a little close to curfew?” Chaddick intervened from the bed, slight concern wavering in his voice.

“Not a problem. Chaddick, you’ll go find him if he’s not back by eleven.”

“Why _me―?”_

“Because I said so. Goodbye, Tedros, good luck with… whatever it is you’re doing,” Nicolas yanked the door open with his free hand, shoving Tedros in the chest with his other.

“Uh thank you. Have fun you―” The door slammed shut in front of him. “...two.” 

And now he was alone. The hallways were slightly quieter than before, some stragglers remaining as they sped through last minute homework. It wasn’t all that late-- the grandfather clock against the wall was ringing out its regal tones. 9 pm. Two hours to find Agatha, find out what the matter was, and get back to his room without getting reprimanded.

Easy! Maybe. 

* * *

It was not easy. In fact, just _finding_ Agatha seemed to be more of a challenge than he’d initially thought. She wasn’t in the Library of Virtue, or Hansel’s Haven, or the Menagerie, and he couldn’t get past a stubborn group of nymphs monitoring the pink staircases. His last hope was the courtyard. Sneaking out of the school was harder than he’d expected, but he hoped it would be worth it--

It wasn’t. The courtyard was completely deserted, as were all the surrounding nooks and alcoves. Even the upper branches of the trees where she sometimes wedged herself were empty. 

Tedros spun on his heel in the middle of the cobbles and went stalking onto the manicured grass, frustrated. She had to be in her room, in which case, she was _definitely_ avoiding him on purpose.

_Stupid,_ he thought to himself, _that I thought I could do this. She doesn’t want to hear what I have to say. I can’t even find her bloody room―_

Tedros paid the price for not paying attention to his surroundings, got his foot wedged under a root, and ended up face-first in the cold grass. He rolled onto his back, swearing, and caught sight of the full moon above him, surrounded by glittering stars. The sky was much prettier, here. Camelot’s night sky was a constant haze of clouds and fog, just as drab as the kingdom itself. His hand reached towards the moon, and he let his body sink into the soothing sound of crickets. It was all so peaceful.

Well, it was until he heard the curfew bells. 

Cursing, Tedros launched up off the ground and frantically scanned his surroundings, looking for something, _anything_ , to hide behind--

He spied a vine conveniently sprawled up the side of the wall up to a veranda. _Perfect._ He flung himself forwards and clawed up it, small thorns pricking into his skin-- but anything was better than getting caught. 

Well, except falling. 

The thought made his grip slacken slightly, but within moments he’d slung himself over the railing and was safely hidden behind a pillar. He sat there for a moment, breathing heavy and tapping at the pinpricks that graced his palms. 

“Staying up here for the night won’t be too bad,” he murmured. A raindrop hit the bridge of his nose. “...spoke too soon.” 

Tedros considered his options: staying out here, and getting sick but not caught, going inside, and getting caught but not sick… or neither. But there was a chance the room was empty, and everything seemed still inside, so...,

He slid his hand across the cold handle and pushed the door open slightly with a creak. A wave of confidence hit him― 

Until he pushed it too fast and fell into a heap on the floor. 

“Shit!” 

There was a soft rustle of sheets, a shadowed figure turning towards him, textbook in hand. The book hit the floor with a thud similar to Tedros’s fall, and the shadow knelt up, incredulous.

_“Tedros?”_

Agatha. He hadn’t thought anyone was in this room, let alone _her―_

Stupidly, he considered saying _no,_ but it would be no use. Despite the dark, he was too distinctive. Every piece of Camelot merchandise had his face on it, and one day, the money would, too. And he knew there were posters of him in the Charity dorms, because Beatrix told him so. 

Plus Agatha had seen him every day for months, whether she wanted to or not. 

“...yes?” he managed.

She was staring at him from her bed, crouched on it, half-poised to jump off. She looked confrontational, so much so that he wondered if he was interrupting something--

Then she shifted to keep her balance, the faint moonlight caught a distinctive gleam in her eyes, and Tedros realised she’d been crying.

Perhaps his mission hadn’t been so misguided after all.

“Oh.” she didn’t even shout at him, just slumped in a somewhat defeated heap on the mattress. “What are _you_ doing here?” she added, managing to summon some of her usual disdain. 

Somehow, Tedros thought _oh, I thought you seemed sad in lessons today and I tried to talk to you at dinner but you brushed me off-- very rudely, I might add-- but I didn’t mind, so when I got kicked out of my dorm by my roommates I decided to try and find you to talk to you, but I lost my nerve and tried to change my mind but accidentally stumbled into your room anyway,_ wasn’t going to cut it.

He tried his best to smile winningly. 

“Sorry, but I need to crash here. Just for a little bit!” he added hastily as her flat eyebrows descended. “You _see,_ the fairies are stalking the hallways, in their, ah, stalky way, and I can’t _technically_ be at the girl’s dorms, and if they find me…”

“You’ll get a very lenient detention?” suggested Agatha dryly. 

“I was anticipating a bloody death, actually.” said Tedros, schooling his face into a dramatic grimace.

“I don’t think they’re going to risk a Camelot succession crisis over an illicit midnight tryst with Beatrix.” Agatha told him flatly.

_Beatrix?_ Tedros pulled a face internally. He had kissed Beatrix twice, and neither had been particularly mind-blowing. Fine. Not worth a dramatic trellis-climb for. Not that he’d tell her that. He’d rather discuss the finer points of the Jaunt Jolie berserker knights with her, since he _knew_ she harboured a secret interest in tournaments that had nothing to do with the looks of the men competing.

He decided to plead, which is what usually made girls giggle at him. 

“...pretty please?” he ventured, clasping his hands under his chin and beaming at her, full-force blinding smile.

No response. Agatha picked at a bit of dead skin on her thumb and looked impassively at him. 

...hmm. Not what he’d expected. 

“Pretty, _pretty,_ please--?”

He must have looked more pathetic than he meant to, because she gave in, albeit with bad grace. 

“Fine.” snapped Agatha, snatching the covers up to her chin and hurling herself back onto her dented pillow. “You can stay, but only until the fairies go away.”

“Oh, great! Thanks--”

Relieved, Tedros scrabbled up onto her bed. He knew he was being annoying, but being annoying was a distraction, and he thought she rather wanted one of those. 

She turned to stare at him, incredulous. 

“Get _ou--”_

“Shush!” Tedros clamped a hand over her mouth. “You gotta keep quiet, remember? Also, it’s _freezing_ tonight, and I catch colds _so_ easily it’s ridiculous―”

He shoved his legs under her blankets, deliberately keeping a sizable gap between them, but also fully aware that he was being the world’s biggest pain in the backside. 

Agatha glowered at him, and for a minute he was convinced she was going to shove him off the bed, and possibly out of the window for good measure.

“...fine. You can stay until the fairies leave…” she looks down. “And you can get your dirty boots off of my bed.” 

“I keep my boots pristine, thank you.” But he did take them off, not really wanting to have a proper fight with Agatha--

“As pristine as you keep your socks?” snorted Agatha, eyeing the hole at the heel. 

“They’re all in the laundry.” Tedros muttered, sliding his feet back under the duvet. 

“...I’m going to sleep,” Agatha muttered, not looking at him, and without another word, she flipped over to face the wall. Tedros assumed that meant she was done talking to him. But since he was here...

“Hey,” he tried, then stopped, not really knowing where to go from there. “...why were you crying?” 

He felt her body tense beside him ever so slightly, hair slowly falling from her cheek to brush against the back of her neck. She didn’t reply. Tedros, feeling as though he’d overstepped, tried to backtrack. “Um, It’s ok if you-”

“This school has been a bit overwhelming for me,” 

Agatha turned over to face him, suddenly, wet eyes gleaming in the soft moonlight. “It’s not what I’m used to. At all. Back in Gavaldon, it was just me and Sophie and Reaper and my mom and--” she made an odd sound, throat catching in a sob. She took a few deep breaths, smearing at her cheeks with a pink pillowcase. Tedros considered reaching over to touch her hair, to hold her hand, or… something, to just _touch_ her, but he held back. 

“I miss her so much,” she began again, looking determinedly away from him. “and I miss her cooking, terrible as it was, and I miss how she’d chase stray dogs out of the graveyard with a broom, I miss the stories she told about her life before me, I miss the way she hugged me…” her voice faded, and she finally risked a look into Tedros’s eyes. Her expression soured. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. You’re the Prince of _Camelot_ for god’s sake--”

“Well, Princes get lonely too, you know?” Tedros interjected, dragging a hand up through his slightly damp hair, as to distract it from wanting to reach over to Agatha. “Still got feelings, haven’t I? And I _feel_ that this school is a bloody nightmare. Wish more than anything to be back home, sipping hot chocolate and not having to worry about petty Evergirl drama. Can’t they ask themselves the ball?” 

Agatha smothered her grin with her hand. Tedros looked pointedly at her and she pulled a face at him.

“So, yes,” he said, “even the Prince of Camelot, _especially_ the Prince of Camelot, can get lonely.” 

Agatha had lowered her hand to rest in her lap, and was eyeing him with her face slightly scrunched in thought. Tedros leaned towards her, warm breaths in sync with hers. He finally reached his hand over to her, fingertips grazing her flushed cheeks. 

“Was that the answer you were looking for?” 

“Tedr―” Agatha stopped, seemed to struggle, then tried again; “Um, the fairies will be here any minute, if they find you… us… well, _you―”_

She stopped, staring determinedly somewhere in the direction of his arm.

“I was kidding about the bloody death, you know.” said Tedros, grinning. Agatha looked up to frown unconvincingly at him and his grin faded. “Let them come.” 

His voice trailed off as he moved closer and closer, and Agatha didn’t move to stop him. Did it matter if they were caught? Tedros didn’t think so, not particularly; in fact, he found nothing else could matter to him in this instance. Agatha’s eyes slipped closed as he lifted her chin, a stray tear falling from her lashes and onto his hand. Ignoring every smidge of doubt he could have previously had, Tedros pulled her close and kissed her. 

Kissing Agatha felt like a dream. It was almost as if they were surrounded by clouds, the sheets feeling softer than he remembered and the air around him feeling thinner. But unlike usual, it wasn’t a dream. They were really there, wrapped up in each other, and Tedros hoped it would never end. The taste of sugary sweets and salty tears mixed on their lips and his hands traveled from her cheeks to her shoulders, fingers slipping over the silky fabric of her uniform. Agatha winced under his touch and backed out slightly.

“Tedros,” Agatha spluttered, breaking the kiss and breathing heavy. “I have no idea what I’m doing―” but there was no time for words, not in this moment. They’d have time tomorrow to discuss, but for now, Tedros just wanted to soak up the moment for as long as he possibly could. So he kissed her once more, trying to help as best as he could. He felt her laugh against his lips, her warmth beneath his fingertips, and for the first time in a while, he felt truly happy. 

“So what’s your favorite food your mother made you?” Tedros whispered, pulling slightly away for a moment.  
“Lizard soup.” said Agatha, with no hesitation. Tedros paused. 

“...er, pray tell how something called _lizard soup_ can be appetizing?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it.”

Tedros squinted doubtfully at her.

“I don’t think I want to try it.” 

“Oh shut up, you conceited―” Agatha gave up and kissed him again. “I can make it for you sometime.”

Tedros grinned weakly. “Try not to poison me.”

“I can’t promise that. Typically, fairytale princes aren’t safe when it’s a witch cooking.” 

“I’ll take the risk—“

“Bea, I― oh―” Tedros was only saved from falling off the bed by Agatha’s conveniently placed arm.

_“Chaddick,_ what the hell man―!”

“I’m _sorry,_ I thought this was Beatrix’s room―”

Lying git. Tedros opened his mouth to tell him so― 

“WHY ARE YOU ALL COMING TO MY ROOM THINKING IT’S BEATRIX’S?” thundered Agatha. Tedros turned to her, baffled.

“What? I was looking for y--”

_“BOYS IN THE GIRL’S DORMS!”_ boomed a nymph’s voice from down the corridor, and the frantic whirr of fairy wings came buzzing towards them.

_“Fuuuck.”_ said Tedros softly. Chaddick gawked at him in panic--

“Enjoy washing up duty for like, forever.” said Agatha blithely. 

“Hey, you’re not exactly innocent in this―” 

“You kissed _me!”_

“And then you kissed _me,_ so what’s your poi―”

The fairies burst through the door, flooring Chaddick and planting clawed hands on Tedros’s back, snatching him backwards by his shirt. Tedros smacked one, it bit him in retaliation, Agatha snorted--

Tedros pried his arm free of the biting fairy, snatched up her hand, and kissed it.

“Until tomorrow.”

He had _thought_ it was charming, but Agatha stared at him like he was the village idiot.

“...no?”

“No.” said Agatha firmly, but he watched the corner of her mouth flatten and _knew_ she was suppressing a smile― 

“Alright, fair―”

Three fairies grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him onto his backside in the hallway, and he was fairly sure, as he and Chaddick were dragged away, that he could hear Agatha laughing at him.

* * *

_“Beatrix?”_ said Tedros doubtfully as they were dragged along the polished glass floors.

“Was the only thing I could think of that would justify me being there.” said Chaddick gloomily. “Everyone loves Beatrix. Not a good idea?”

“Not particularly.” said Tedros. “It annoyed Agatha, anyway.”

“Everything annoys Agatha.”

“Not… everything.” said Tedros weakly, though he admitted he was struggling for examples. 

“Mm.” said Chaddick, unconvinced. He looked up at the biting fairy. “We can walk from here, you know?”

The fairy hissed at him. Chaddick sighed. 

“You know, when you said you were going to find Agatha, I thought you meant you were going to talk to her.”

“I did!” snapped Tedros, ducking to avoid the plinth of a marble statue.

“Yeah. Ok, well―”

“Want me to get Nicholas moved?”

Chaddick glared at him.

“No, git!”

“Well then, shut your mouth!”

“You shut _yours―”_ had they not been firmly in the grip of the fairies, they probably would have tried to fight over it, but as it was, all they could really do was scowl.

“This is stupid.” said Chaddick, as the pink floors morphed into blue. “At least none of the other girls came to gawk. Or they might have gotten Dovey.”

“Yeah.” Tedros admitted. “Or any of the teachers. But Dovey would definitely be worse, she’s absolutely rabid about this sort of thing, and it’d get round the whole student body in like an hour. So―”

Camel-fur slippers suddenly appeared in their line of sight.

“Oh, no.” said Chaddick softly. 

_“Well!”_ said Professor Anemone, with far too much enthusiasm. “Where have we _been,_ boys?”

Never mind. 

The whole school would know in thirty minutes. 

**Author's Note:**

> it's probably easy to tell who wrote what bc the bits I mainly wrote have like a billion commas sjhsjks but anyway hope you enjoyed!!! make sure to check out katie's fics as well!!!


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